nervous newbie, please help!

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Courtney

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hi all! tomorrow is my first day as an emt and im super nervous. i passed all my examinations 6 months ago and im afraid i might be a little rusty with the hands on parts of the job. am i going to be expected to be doing anything and everything my first few shifts? what are the expectations of someone brand new?

also, did anyone else start off with a weak stomach when it comes to blood and bodily fluids? i did ok during clinicals but i was wondering if anyone had advice on how best to deal with it.
 
Your first few days at any new company should be classroom orientation with other new hires where your new employers go over company specific policies/procedures, operational details, etc. Following that you'll be assigned a Field Training Officer (FTO) where you'll ride out as the third person on the ambulance with the FTO and their partner where you'll be taught the ropes and how to translate all the classroom stuff you've done so far to the real world. While the lengths of time of each phase vary greatly between different company's, you wont just be thrown to the wolves "You're hired, here, show up to this station, your on this ambulance tomorrow, good luck!" doesn't happen.
 
Jim37F said:
Your first few days at any new company should be classroom orientation with other new hires where your new employers go over company specific policies/procedures, operational details, etc. Following that you'll be assigned a Field Training Officer (FTO) where you'll ride out as the third person on the ambulance with the FTO and their partner where you'll be taught the ropes and how to translate all the classroom stuff you've done so far to the real world. While the lengths of time of each phase vary greatly between different company's, you wont just be thrown to the wolves "You're hired, here, show up to this station, your on this ambulance tomorrow, good luck!" doesn't happen.
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Thank you so much! My station only had 3 calls but 2 of them happened at the same time so I only got to run 2. They let me do what I felt comfortable with and I am definitely looking forward to more shifts and hopefully I will gain the confidence I desperately need.
 
Even if you were 3 weeks out, you are going to have a learning curve. Some parts of it are easy to learn, others take a little time. It just takes time. I am STILL learning this city almost a year later, but I didn't grow up in a city so that was a bit out of my comfort zone. Just took time and actually doing it. The more you do it, the better you will feel.

As far as your second question, no. But growing up around animals, I have already smelled some pretty ripe stuff lol. You just gotta suck it up. I hear people use Vick's on their lip, no idea how well it works.

Ask questions. The people you are riding with will help you get settled in as long as you put in the effort to learn. Put in an effort to learn and they will put in the effort to teach.
 
if you don't know, ask...ask when you have time...my first time on a truck out of EMT school in my FTO, I told my FTO (a medic) that while I had just learned what a saline lock was the day prior, I had no idea what to do with it...he proceeded to set one up and show me...then he showed me how to spike a bag. I've taken stretchers off the trucks to make sure I knew how to operate them properly...I've asked my partners to show me how to draw up meds, if they want me too.
I usually preface working with a new medic with two things right off the bat...
A. I'm a new EMT, and I'm still learning what I need to do.
B. If we catch a cardiac arrest, what do you expect of me.

Telling them right off the bat that I'm new, I let them know I'm not trying to hide anything, or pretend to be something I'm not. Plus it tends to allow them ahead of time to adjust their mentality so if they do have a teaching mode, they tend to switch to that, vs just going in like they might with a more experienced partner.

Asking them what they expect of me during a cardiac arrest for me is important, especially working with different partners. Some prefer me on the computer, time stamping meds and treatments...others want a name/DOB and help them...and i I'm helping them, some want me to hand meds, others want me handing them supplies and equipment...everyone is different, and if you can figure out what they want done when and how, they will appreciate it, and you'll have an idea ahead of time, and won't be fumbling around like an idiot with no idea what to do.
 
Dennhop said:
if you don't know, ask...ask when you have time...my first time on a truck out of EMT school in my FTO, I told my FTO (a medic) that while I had just learned what a saline lock was the day prior, I had no idea what to do with it...he proceeded to set one up and show me...then he showed me how to spike a bag. I've taken stretchers off the trucks to make sure I knew how to operate them properly...I've asked my partners to show me how to draw up meds, if they want me too.
I usually preface working with a new medic with two things right off the bat...
A. I'm a new EMT, and I'm still learning what I need to do.
B. If we catch a cardiac arrest, what do you expect of me.

Telling them right off the bat that I'm new, I let them know I'm not trying to hide anything, or pretend to be something I'm not. Plus it tends to allow them ahead of time to adjust their mentality so if they do have a teaching mode, they tend to switch to that, vs just going in like they might with a more experienced partner.

Asking them what they expect of me during a cardiac arrest for me is important, especially working with different partners. Some prefer me on the computer, time stamping meds and treatments...others want a name/DOB and help them...and i I'm helping them, some want me to hand meds, others want me handing them supplies and equipment...everyone is different, and if you can figure out what they want done when and how, they will appreciate it, and you'll have an idea ahead of time, and won't be fumbling around like an idiot with no idea what to do.
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This is great. I love when new partners do this. The day becomes a "what can I help you learn" experience. Way more rewarding that way.
 
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